Combustion pressure measurement - How does it work

Cylmate – Reduced fuel consumption

Recognized, verified and proven

Combustion pressure measurement is very challenging in the aggressive application of 2-stroke engines. The unique and reliable Cylmate pressure transducer has proven its maintenance- and calibration-free performance during years of continuous operation. 

Billions of strokes

Transducers have been installed for over a decade, and still in operation providing us user experiences from thousands of installed pressure transducers. 

Accuracy over time

The measuring accuracy is not influenced by any clogging or heat flash from the combustion gases, which potentially could be a problem with other pressure transducers. Cylmate pressure transducers do not have any aging phenomena and is not affected by pressure cycling, temperature cycling, combustion gases or combustion residues. Therefore, the Cylmate pressure transducers do not need any recalibration. The transducers critical parts are made of Inconel.

Magneto-elasticity and Pressductor® technology

According to the magneto-elastic effect, the magnetic properties of a ferro-magnetic material are influenced by the mechanical forces acting on it. A typical transducer has four holes with two windings passing at right angles to each other. One of these serves as the primary winding and the other one as the secondary winding. No coupling exists between the two windings as long as there is no load acting on the transducer. If a mechanical force is applied to the transducer, the permeability of the material in terms of magnetic flux is changed in such a way that a voltage is induced in the secondary winding. The induced voltage is proportional to the applied pressure.

Cylmate®: Diesel engine performance monitoring

In the early 1970’s ABB introduced its Cyldet transducer for the continuous monitoring of combustion pressure in large diesel engines. In 2001 the company released a substantially improved version of this transducer together with a new measuring system. Known as the Cylmate diesel engine performance monitoring system, it is the most advanced system for continuous engine performance monitoring. It is designed for diesel engines running at low speed. 
The quality of the data from ABB’s Cylmate system means that propulsion machinery can achieve maximum reliability, availability and efficiency; the ship’s owner benefits from significantly reduced fuel consumption and maintenance costs, as well as being in compliance with environmental standards.

Key component for automated tuning of electronically controlled engines

Today automated performance optimization is state-of-the-art feature on electronically controlled engines. By means of online cylinder pressure signal integration into engine control system, the timing of fuel injection and exhaust valves is automatically adapted to different operation conditions. Therefore, the engine can be continuously optimized for lowest fuel consumption and load balance for less bearing wear. 

Engine builders and their customers have over the years experienced that Cylmate pressure transducers are the ultimate solution for this application providing best reliability and lowest cost of ownership, knowing that the Transducer features

  • Highest accuracy and long-term repeatability 
  • Maintenance-free and recalibration-free 
  • MTBF – more than 10 years 
  • Low life cycle cost

gives the Customer benefits

  • optimized engine at all time with the help of auto tuning
  • engine meets the regulations
  • minimizes cost of failures
  • minimizes the cost of fuel

at all times! 
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